Spotify grows to 10 million paid subscribers

Spotify has revealed that it added 4 million more paid subscribers to its music-streaming service in the space of a year.

The last time Spotify revealed global user numbers was in March 2013. Back then, 6 million users opted for a paid subscription. That number has now grown to 10 million paying subscribers around the world, spanning the 56 countries where Spotify is currently available.

In total, there are over 40 million active users on Spotify -- this number covers both paid and free subscriptions. A Premium Spotify subscription includes ad-free mobile and offline listening for US$9.99, £9.99 or AU$11.99 per month.

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The growth was due in part to the company's overhaul of its mobile apps at the end of 2013, allowing listeners to stream music on Android
and iOS for free. At the time, Spotify said mobile app downloads had increased by four times in the week since launch.

"We've had an amazing year, growing from 20 markets to 56 as people from around the world embrace streaming music," Daniel Ek, CEO and founder of Spotify said in a statement. "10 million subscribers is an important milestone for both Spotify and the entire music industry."

By comparison, Internet radio service Pandora had 76 million active users as of April 2014. In October 2013, Apple said that 20 million listeners were using iTunes Radio.